South Warwickshire Family History Society War Memorial Transcription Project

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The Fallen Men of South Warwickshire - World War One


L/Corporal 3/95 Wilfred SINGLETON DCM - A Section, New Zealand Field Ambulance, NZ Medical Corps

Died of Wounds on Saturday 26th June 1915 aged 26

wilfred singleton


Military History

     
Theatre of War Campaign Medals Commonwealth War Grave or Memorial
Gallipoli 1914-15 Star, British War & Victory Medals Lone Pine Memorial
     
Arrived in Theatre Bravery Medals SWFHS Area Memorials
6 Dec 1914 in Eygpt   Distinguished Conduct Medal & M.i.D Stratford on Avon Cemetery Memorial 
     
Action, Battle or Other Reason Died Date and Place Enlisted Other War Memorials
Gallipoli Campaign 11 Aug 1914 in Porirua, Wellington NZ University College School, Hampstead  
    Porirua, NZ 
Place of Death Previous Regiments or Units  
At Sea aboard HMHS Garson  London Rifle Brigade   
     

Distinguished Conduct Medal & Mentioned in Despatches

Wilfred was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal on the 3rd June 1915 (Gazette) and New Zealand Medical Corps records state the following events that led to the award.
“There was heavy rifle and machine gun fire most of the day on the ridge. The field ambulance bearers experienced great difficulty in clearing the wounded: there had been some rain during the night, which made the track exceedingly treacherous'; the wounded had to be carried down on improvised stretchers made of rifles and putties, or lowered or glissaded down on oil sheets. The field ambulance parties had valuable assistance from all R.M.O's (Regimental Medical Officers) and their water duty men who were assisting, of these, Cpl. Singleton, N.Z.M.C., with McKillop and Cpl. Steedman, N.Z.M.C. with Home, particularly, were conspicuous in getting the wounded out of the shallow trenches at considerable risk. Both corporals had the D.C.M. for this work."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Circumstances of Death

On 24th June Wilfred was standing outside a dressing station at Walkers Ridge when he sustained a bullet wound to the back which penetrated his abdomen, he was evacuated to the hospital ship but died two days later and was buried at sea. New Zealand Medical Corps records describe the events that led to his death as follows:

“No water carts had so far been landed, and no wells of any importance located. In some the water was brackish, others early polluted during the heavy fighting. The main source of supply was from barges arriving daily at the beach, from which the water was pumped into troughs, and later tanks. The water duty men of battalions were mainly used as medical orderlies to the R.M.O., as they had no water-purification duties to perform; some of them were employed as supervisors of sanitary work in either capacity the N.Z.M.C. details attached to battalions were most useful to the R.M.O.'s One of these, L/Cpl. Singleton, D.C.M., already referred to as doing good work on Walker's Ridge in April, while standing just outside the main dressing station on June 24th sustained a wound in the back, penetrating the abdomen. On the 24th June 1915 L/Corporal Singleton was evacuated to the hospital ship HMHS Garson with a gunshot wound to the abdomen.”

 
 Personal & Family History

 

Birth Date/Place Baptism Date/Place
13 Dec 1888 in Hampstead, London 24 Feb 1889 at Kensington St. Barnabas                    
   
Parents Names Abode
Alexander Hayes and Edith Ellen Singleton 138 Adelaide Road, Hampstead 
   
Schools Colleges
University College School, Hampstead 1898-1905 ~
   
Address History Employment History
1888 - 16 Addison Crescent, Kensington 1901 - School age 
1891 - 3 Hanover Park, Camberwell 1911 - Cheesmaker in NZ 
1901 - 138 Adelaide Road, Hampstead 1914 - Farmer/Dairyman at Porirua Hospital
1911 - Manaia Road, Kaponga, NZ  
1914 - Porirua Hospital, Porirua, NZ  
   
  • We have not yet established the link between Wilfred and Stratford on Avon